This invention relates to a fixture for a floating connector for use in an electric or electronic appliance for industrial machines, car navigation systems, and the like, and more particularly to a floating connector using the fixtures, capable of fitting with and removing from a mating connector without buckling and deformation of contacts to an excessive extent.
In hitherto used electrical connectors having a floating part, two insulators have often been used, either of which is supported only by contacts each having an elastic portion which is elastically deformable. In order to provide an elasticity to contacts, it has been employed that the elastic portions are snaked or tortuous, or contacts are elongated by increasing a distance between two insulators.
As prior art floating connectors, incorporated herein are Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-42,937 (Patent Literature 1), Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-352,908 (Patent Literature 2), and Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-45,525 (Patent Literature 3), these being proposed by the applicant of the present case.
Patent Literature 1
According to the abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-42,937, this invention has an object to provide an electrical connector 1consisting of a pin connector 10 and a socket connector 20 whose respective contacts 14 and 24 are not subjected to any load so that no defective or failed connection occurs when a substrate 60 is fixed to a casing in a state that the pin connector 10 and the socket connector 20 are fitted with each other. Disclosed is an electrical connector 1 consisting of a pin connector 10 and a socket connector 20detachably fitted with each other, including a locator 40 having a groove portion 42of a size accommodating the socket connector 20 and having engaging means for engaging the socket connector 20 so that the socket connector 20 is mounted on the locator 40 and is fixed to a substrate 60 so as to be floating. Moreover, lengths of socket contacts 24 received in the locator 40 are 5 to 10 mm, thereby giving the socket connector 20 floating function.
In connection with the above description, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-42,937 recites an electrical connector consisting of a pin connector and a socket connector detachably fitted with each other, said pin connector comprising a required number of pin contacts and a block for holding and fixing the pin contacts, and said socket connector comprising a required number of socket contacts adapted to contact said pin contacts and a housing for holding and fixing said socket contacts, said electrical connector comprising a locator having a groove portion of a size accommodating said socket connector and having engaging means for engaging said socket connector so that said socket connector is mounted on said locator and is fixed to a substrate in a manner that said socket connector is movable in a floating state. Claim 2 recites the electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein lengths of said socket contacts received in said locator are 5 to 10 mm so that said socket connector has a floating function. Claim 3 recites the electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locator is provided with a continuous groove in which the socket contacts of said socket connector can be displaced, thereby providing a floating function to said socket connector. Claim 4recites the electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said socket contacts are bent substantially at right angles or twisted in a continuous groove of said locator. Claim 5 recites the electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said socket contacts are curved in a continuous groove of said locator.
Patent Literature 2
According to the abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-352,908, the invention has an object to provide a connector 10 or 40 having a floating structure in a simple construction without increasing the number of parts, and enabling connection portions of contacts to be positioned. Disclosed is a connector 10 or 40 including contacts 14 or 44 each having a contact portion 32adapted to contact a mating contact, a fixed portion 34 to be fixed to a block 12 or 42, and a connection portion 22 to be connected to a substrate; and the block 12 or 42 for holding and fixing the required number of the contacts 14 or 44, wherein the contacts 14 or 44 are each provided with an elastic portion 20 or 50 between the fixed portion 34 and the connection portion 22, and a substantially box-shaped housing 16 or 46 with clearances relative to outer dimensions of the block 12 or 42is provided on the side of the connection portions of the contacts 14 or 44 so as to enable positioning of the connection portions 22 of the contacts relative to the substrate and to enable floating of the connector 10 or 40. In order to make easy the floating, moreover, the elastic portion 20 or 50 of each of the contacts 14 or 44 is preferably snaked at least one location.
In connection with the above description, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-352,908 recites a connector to be mounted on a substrate, including contacts each having a contact portion adapted to contact a mating contact, a fixed portion to be fixed to a block, and a connection portion to be connected to said substrate; and the block for holding and fixing the required number of the contacts, wherein said contacts each comprise an elastic portion between the fixed portion and the connection portion and a substantially box-shaped housing with clearances relative to outer dimensions of said block is provided on the side of the connection portions of said contacts so as to enable positioning of the connection portions of said contacts relative to the substrate and to enable floating of the connector. Claim 2 recites the connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the elastic portions of said contacts is snaked at least one location. Claim 3recites the connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said contacts are each provided with a cross-shaped positioning portion between the elastic portion and the connection portion. Claim 4 recites the connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein said housing is provided with a required number of inserting grooves on the side of connection to the substrate for inserting said contacts thereinto, and between the respective inserting grooves plate-shaped members are arranged, and wherein said plate-shaped members are each provided with a protrusion on one side and with a guide surface on the other side, and further provided with inclined surfaces A and B continuous to said guide surface, and provided with an inclined portion continuous to and substantially perpendicular to said inclined surface A. Claim 5 recites the connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein said contacts are each installed in the housing by steps of inserting the contact into the housing with the tip of a cross-shaped positioning portion to be guided along the guide surface, moving the contact so as to guide the tip along the inclined portion and the inclined surface A toward the protrusion, and further moving the contact so as to guide the tip along the inclined surface B to the protrusion so that the cross-shaped positioning portion of said contact is seated on the protrusion and an installed portion.
Patent Literature 3
According to the abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-45,525, the invention has an object to provide a connector 10 having a floating structure in a simple construction without increasing the number of parts, and enabling connection portions of contacts to be positioned. Disclosed is a connector 10 including contacts 14 each having a contact portion 32 adapted to contact a mating contact, a fixed portion 34 to be fixed to a block 12, and a connection portion 22 to be connected to a substrate; and the block 12 for holding and fixing the required number of the contacts 14, wherein the contacts 14 are each provided with an elastic portion 20 having at least one snaked portion between the fixed portion 34and the connection portion 22, and a substantially box-shaped housing 16 with clearances relative to outer dimensions of the block 12 is located outside the block 12 on the side of the connection portions of the contacts 14 so as to enable positioning of the connection portions 22 of the contacts relative to the substrate and to enable floating of the connector 10. Moreover, the contacts are each preferably 15 provided between the elastic portion 20 and the connection portion 22 with fitting portions 21 adapted to engage in an inserting hole 36 of said housing 16.
In connection with the above description, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-45,525 recites a connector to be mounted on a substrate, including contacts each having a contact portion adapted to contact a mating contact, a fixed portion to be fixed to a block, and a connection portion to be connected to said substrate; and the block for holding and fixing the required number of the contacts, wherein said contacts each comprise an elastic portion having at least one snaked portion between the fixed portion and the connection portion, and a substantially box-shaped housing with clearances relative to outer dimensions of said block is located outside said block on the side of the connection portions of said contacts so as to enable positioning of the connection portions of said contacts relative to the substrate and to enable floating of the connector. Claim 2 recites the connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing is provided on its width ends with slits in the proximities of arms so as to provide elasticity to the arms to facilitate engagement of locks of the block. Claim 3 recites the connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said contacts are each provided between the elastic portion and the connection portion with a fitting portion adapted to engage an inserting hole of said housing.
In case of connectors, in general, a force for removing one connector from the other connector fitted with each other may be indicated by a product of a contact force at each contact and the number of the contacts: With the constructions disclosed in the Patent Literatures described above, in order to realize the floating of the connector, two insulators are used, either of which is held only by contacts each having an elastically deformable elastic portion (by providing a partly snaked or tortuous portion or by elongating a distance between the two insulators). However, there is a risk of the elastic portions of the contacts deforming to an excessive extent so that the elastic portions could not be restored to their original shapes.
With the constructions described above, moreover, when a mating connector is being fitted in a connector, as either of insulators in a floating state is pushed, there is also a possibility of buckling of the elastic portions exceeding their elastic limits.